Meet the talented wedding planner Mitchelle Kasimu of Estalitha Events

What's your background and why did you launch your business?
I have always had a passion for event planning since my 16th birthday, followed by family and loved ones events up to the age of 25. This is when I started being booked on an ad hoc basis by external clients followed by planning several relatives and family friends' weddings. I realised my talent had grown and I could actually turn it into an official business.

Mostly it was my creativity and attention to detail that people enjoyed and admired. All the events I planned I made sure I brought in the personalities of individuals rather than basing it on my creativity only. It was also the ability to bring simple things to life - adding elegance and class by thinking outside the box.

I truly believe money has no limitation on creativity and innovation. I am a trendy person who is always willing to move with the market changes and eager for growth development through ongoing learning, reviews and constructive feedback for continuous improvements. I also respect clients who are not into trendiness but are traditionalist, hence why I provide bespoke services tailored to individual preferences.

Furthermore, my faith as a christian is centred around achieving the impossible and my academics in Masters in Public Administration whereby I have managed multiple projects with different budgets, is vital when planning weddings as you can be planning a wedding worth £20k to above £100k. The key is to ensure budget commitment and making sure the risk of over spend is mitigated.

I also have a degree in Marketing and PR. I have led on large advertisements and campaigns on a national and international scale bringing out my creativity and innovation ideas to create a unique and niche touch on projects. My goal is to produce outcome-based results centred around customer care and professionalism.

In terms of being creative and innovative, Estalitha Events is a business that offers multiple of choices to clients from decorations, entertainment, catering, florists, make up artists, transportation, accommodation, DJ, MC, cake etc. There is no one-size-fits-all element. Every event or wedding we plan is bespoke and we are willing to go the extra mile for our clients.

Furthermore, I am a qualified registered professional with Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply whereby I have experience of encouraging competition and driving down costs for clients ensuring that high quality of services is being delivered as we thrive to be a reputational brand. In addition, I am also professionally registered with the International Association for Contract & Commercial Management which involves the expertise of managing and negotiating a large number of contract ensuring that brides understands very well the contractual terms and conditions before they sign and that contractual legal advice is provided to a certain extent.

What's your favourite type of wedding to work on?
My favourite type of wedding to work on is the traditional church wedding. This is always sentimental and emotional for me when the couple exchange their vows and declare their love for each other. This moment is beautiful and the most important part of the wedding - after all, the material things don't matter as you can never buy love. Yes I am a trendy person, but the tradition can never expire or be diluted. The ceremony is the moment that reminds me why I enjoy planning weddings - because true love still exists. The union and companion of two different people coming together from different backgrounds to create their own family and future is priceless.

What's your top tip for couples planning a wedding?
Always remember the reason why you are planning the wedding, because after the big day when people have enjoyed the music, entertainment, food and they have admired the spectacular decorations and the amazing wedding dress, reality checks in as the newlyweds are left to build a future together. It is a celebration of the beginning of a marriage and destiny of the companion. This helps as every time couples argue when they are planning a wedding they will remember what matters and what doesn't. Love conquers all.

What's your favourite thing about working in the wedding industry?
It is bringing my creativity and innovation to life. Not all weddings are the same they are always different and tailored to different individuals. I have the opportunity of working with different people from different races, ages, ethnicies, religions, beliefs, sexualities, abilities etc. I am a people person who is well travelled with a great deal of worldly experiences and knowledge of fashion and culture, and I believe in diversity and inclusion. This includes networking with other business within the industry creating the best experiences for our clients whilst making a positive impact on peoples' lives as they become part of your life journey.

Mrs Mitchelle Esther Kasimu | Estalitha Events | www.estalithaevents.co.uk | Facebook page